Creamy Vegetable Soup (Print View)
Velvety blended soup packed with nine fresh vegetables, finished with cream and aromatic herbs for a comforting meal.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables and Aromatics
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
07 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
08 - 1 cup cauliflower florets
09 - 1 cup broccoli florets
→ Liquids
10 - 4 cups vegetable broth (use gluten-free if needed)
11 - 1 cup whole milk or plant-based milk
12 - 1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut cream
→ Seasonings
13 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
14 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
16 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
→ Garnish
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
18 - Croutons for serving
# How-To Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, sautéing for 3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Add carrots, celery, potato, zucchini, cauliflower florets, and broccoli florets to the pot. Sauté the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
03 - Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes until all vegetables are fork-tender.
04 - Using an immersion blender directly in the pot, purée the soup until completely smooth. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a countertop blender and blend until silky.
05 - Return the puréed soup to the pot if using a countertop blender. Stir in the milk and heavy cream, then season with salt, pepper, dried thyme, and ground nutmeg. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not allow the soup to boil.
06 - Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed to balance the flavors.
07 - Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and croutons. Serve immediately.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- This soup forgives almost every substitution so use whatever vegetables you have lurking in the fridge.
- The velvety texture feels indulgent but the bulk of it is just honest vegetables and broth.
- It reheats beautifully for lunch the next day and somehow tastes even deeper after a night in the fridge.
02 -
- Blending hot soup in a countertop blender without venting the lid will spray soup across your ceiling so always remove the center cap and cover it with a towel.
- Adding the cream before blending can cause it to break so always blend the vegetables first then stir in the dairy.
03 -
- The nutmeg is the ingredient people will try to guess so do not skip it even though it seems odd in a vegetable soup.
- Let the soup rest off the heat for ten minutes before serving because the texture settles into something more luxurious than straight off the boil.